HAMZA HABIB

ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Index-based inflation decreased by 1.34 percent for the week ended on September 18, as supply of perishable items like tomatoes and onions improved. But on a year-on-year basis, the SPI is still in the positive zone with 4.17 percent.

As the flood water recedes in affected areas of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the supply of vegetables and fruits is returning to normalcy. According to figures issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, on a week-on-week basis, major decrease is observedin the prices of tomatoes, coming downby 23.11percent, chicken by 12.74percent, electricity charges for Q1 by 6.21percent, bananas by 5.07percent,wheat flour by 2.60percent, onions by 1.17percent, pulse masoor by 0.64percent, pulse gram by 0.47percent and garlic by 0.46percent.

On the other hand, a major increase is observed in the prices of diesel, which are up by 1.06percent, eggs by 0.91percent, rice basmati broken by 0.84percent, georgette by 0.83percent, rice IRRI-6/9 by 0.78percent, firewood by0.59percent, beef by0.42percent, mutton and cooked beef by 0.31percent each, vegetable ghee 1 kg by 0.25percent, energy saver by 0.23percent and pulse moong by0.10percent.

During the week, out of 51 items, prices of 18 (35.29percent) items increased, 14 (27.45percent) items decreased, and

19 (37.26percent) items remained stable.

The YoY trend depicts an increase of 4.17percent. Major increase is observed in the prices of ladies sandal which increased by 55.62percent, tomatoes by 49.02percent, sugar by 30.17percent, gas charges for Q1 by 29.85percent, pulse moong by 15.79percent, wheat flour by 15.70percent, firewood by 12.40percent, gur by 12.36percent, beef by 12.31percent, vegetable ghee 2.5 kg by 11.26percent, vegetable ghee 1 kg by 11.09percent and diesel by 9.51percent.

A decline is observed in the prices of onions, lowering by 38.23percent, garlic by 27.50percent, electricity charges for Q1 by 26.26percent, pulse gram by 21.45percent, pulse mash by 20.95percent, tea Lipton by 17.93percent, potatoes by 15.20percent, chicken by11.06percent, and pulse masoor by 5.29percent.

For the expenditure bracket up to Rs17,732, the SPI decreased by 1.43 percent to 322.71from 327.39 points of the previous week. For the expenditure group of Rs17,732 to Rs22,888, the SPI decreased by 1.59 percent to 321.05 from 326.25 points of the previous week.

The expenditure group of Rs22,889 to Rs 29,517 saw a decline of 1.34 percent, with the SPI at 344.31 points against 348.99 points a week ago.

For the Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 expenditure group, SPI went down by 1.23 percent to 329.64 from333.75points of the previous week.

Meanwhile, the monthly expenditure group above Rs44,175 registered a 1.23 percent decrease, with SPI standing at 329.64 points compared to 333.75 points previously.

Overall, the combined SPI for all expenditure groups was recorded at 330.84, down by 1.34 percent compared to 335.35 points of the previous week.